Many diabetics are asked to test their blood glucose up to six times or more per day in order to adjust their insulin doses for tighter control of their blood glucose levels. As a result of the discomfort, many of these patients do not test as often as is recommended by their physician, with the consequence of poor blood glucose control. This poor control has been shown to result in increased complications from this disease. Among these complications are blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, ischemic limb disease, and stroke. It would thus be desirable to obtain fast and reliable measurements of blood glucose concentration using easier and less invasive methods.
D-Glucose or Dextrose monohydrate is a simple molecule with the chemical formula of C6H12O6 yet determining the concentration in blood using optical methods is complex. This molecule has signature vibrational modes in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These vibrational bands allow for spectral identification of the molecule. In the region of interest 980-1200 cm−1, these spectral peaks are attributed to the C—O stretch in the glucose molecule.